Royal Roads: Shadowed Ninja
by arcalv01
Summary: Nara Shikamaru dies and is reborn, in our world, retaining his memories. His name is the same and his parents have the same names and appearances. He grows up being hailed as a genius with an unparalleled IQ. He has no chakra in the real world, but he does spend his days training his body physically with knowledge from his past life. He joins Royal Roads the game.
1. Map and Race Description

**24 Playable Royal Road's Race Description**

 **Human:**

Driven, expanding, and ready to leave their mark, would all describe a human. The human is ready to work together for a common goal, but are also quick to only fend for themselves. Humans tend to take up any skills that interest them or would further add to their growth in the future.

 **Halfling:**

Cleaver and Curious, Halflings have always strived to never be bored. They dedicate themselves to their ambitions and always want to be better. They have an intense love of music and many families have large volumes of family songs that sing together. They are family oriented and stick together, this leads them to always wanting to defend each other which can lead to misunderstandings if other taller races mock ones height.

 **Half-Orc:**

Wanders, Half-Orcs are the product of children being born from the captured females the Orc Horde have claimed. Half-Orcs are the most diverse of any race due to the parentage of the race. Half-Orcs rarely stay in one location for long due to others normally being wary around them. They are often lifelong adventures and many become great worriers and traveling sell-swords.

 **Dwarf:**

The Dwarf may be more stubborn than any other race ever to come about. These folk have grown to love the earth and are experts in hueing precious metals from it. They are generally militaristic and known to put down their artisan tools in favor of an axe when needed. They are loud and full of good humor, but watch out if one believes you might have slighted them.

 **Hill Dwarf:**

Much like their familiar cousins, Hill Dwarfs are known to be hard force any direction. These Dwarves are slightly taller and longer limbed then their cousins. They favor Calvary warfare, mounts of large rams' bread for battle. They are kind and understanding to those around them. The hill dwarfs have come together and formed a kingdom with the Gnomes, these two races work together covering for each other.

 **Mountain Dwarf:**

These dwarves have put living in the mountains into their bones. They are on average the shortest of the dwarves, but don't let that fool you they are mighty. These dwarves have strong backs and powerful wills, the mountains themselves are shaped by them. These dwarves favor large weapons when in combat, and will go into a berserker rage when their clans are in trouble.

 **High Elf:**

Elegance and Gracefulness, are the opinions of those who first meet the High elves. Arrogant and uppity are the opinions of those who spend long periods of time with them. They have the years and knowledge that holds them above others. They can be quick to welcome and look onto the other races with a kindness that only a parent could have. They also always believe they are right and the elders know they are right even when proof that they aren't is staring them in the face. They have grand schools of magic in their kingdom, but they hoard the information to those they think can handle it.

 **Dark Elf:**

These elves live underground, their skin reflects this as they all have coal black skin. They have lost their touch with nature, but in return they know more about the darker elements than any other. They have in-depth knowledge in poisons and alchemy. The greatest potions ever made were done by the hands of a Dark Elf.

 **Wood Elf:**

They have keen eyes and quick minds. These elves are the greatest archers in the world and seem to be able to hit targets that were thought to be impossible. The wood elf cities can be found in the densest forests known. Their kingdom is ruled by a council of Druids who spread the blessings and wrath of nature to those who deserve it.

 **Wild Elf:**

Free spirited and fast talking, these elves are considered the most approachable of all the elves. Load songs and great food follow the arrival of visitors to their kingdoms. They are called wild by their cousins because they act the most like the short lived races than any other. They have a deep rooted dislike for the Forest Gnolls that have a kingdom in the same zone as they do.

 **Half-Elf:**

These are the sons in daughter of the paring between Humans and High Elves. They are longer lived than humans but don't have the longevity of High Elves. They generally have left to live with their High Elf parents, but they have inherited their human parents' drive which the high elves don't approve of. Over the years they have left and formed their own settlement and families. The race may have started out as the mixture of two peoples, but they have come together to form their own way of life.

 **Gnoll:**

Doglike humanoid that live in migratory villages that live in the Kingdom of Jurso. They hunt large beasts that roam these lands and keep the land very natural. They have a shamanistic tribe layout, full of rituals that help with their communing with the elements. They are a peaceful race that will welcome and house those who need aide, but will defend their ways with brutal fierceness.

 **Rock Gnoll:**

Fierce cousins of the Gnoll, they are larger and much more brutish. They live in the Mountains of the Kingdom of Haven. They hunt and keep to themselves, but some will leave and become bodyguards and mercenaries.

 **Forest Gnoll:**

The shortest of the Gnolls, they are more closed off then the others. They live in thick forests and are a very closed off people. They let others visit, but never without an escort. They are a matriarchal society that are led like a pack dominated by the most powerful female. They females are always larger than the males and are the worriers of the race. The males are cooks and gathers while the females do all the hunting. They will kill any wild elf they find breaking the agreed upon boarders of their two kingdoms.

 **Gnome:**

Have a deep fascination with the growth of food and the rearing of livestock. They are almost entirely merchant classes. They have great farms that supply some of the finest food stuffs to all of the kingdoms. They share the Kingdom of Subain with the Hill dwarfs who act as the military of the kingdom. They have been known to produce many great adventures, but never doubt that a Gnome always knows the true price of anything.

 **Deep Gnome:**

The great illusionists of the world. Their magic is geared to keep themselves hidden and confuse their enemies. They have come together with the Forest Gnolls and formed a strong but isolated community. They like to plan for the future and always know when to make the right move.

 **Forest Gnome:**

Very wild and the only race that really get along with them are the Deep Gnome. They live alongside these underground gnomes where their two kingdoms connect. They use blood rituals to bind themselves with animal companions that will be together for the rest of their lives.

 **Satyr:**

Secretive and majestic, this race is always mired in mystery. Never doubt that anything a satyr tells you is probably only half-truths and deception. They never let outsiders into their secretive blood rites that are thought to give the satyrs the power to control spirits that live in the trees.

 **Half-Vampire:**

They rule their island nation with structure and discipline. This race, that was born from the first undead to ever realize a sense of self, has never had an easy time interacting with other races. They were first born from vampires that fell in love with humans and mated with them for a chance at having a family. The children of these encounters were never treated with kindness.

 **Tiefling:**

These natural born rogues are the descendants of the demons that first invaded from the great abyss. Over the years the demon blood in them has diluted enough to allow them to fight of the bloodlust of their ancestors. A tiefling is much more likely to rob you blind as step in to save a stranger. This race though is often known to never being predictable so don't be surprised if the savior of a legend turned out to be one.

 **Asmere:**

The descendants of those that were first touched by the great god PELOR. Over the years they have grown into a deeply religious sect that are some of the best healers in the world. The center of their religion is a bright shining shard that is believed to be where PELOR took a step on this plain to quell the demonic rising so many centuries ago. The Asmere will fight righteously for the spread of the light to all they encounter.

 **Argonian:**

The lizard humanoid race is one of the first sentient races to ever walk the world. They have survived where many great races have all died out. They live in a kingdom built in the great swamp of Haven. Their society has not changed in many hundreds of years. They have unparalleled control over fire magic and it has been rumored that they first came from dragons.

 **Khajiit:**

They live in the great Desert of Tranquility. A race of cat like humanoids that have mastered life in the most barren location of the world. They are secretive and quick to joke at another's expense. It would be difficult indeed to find a Khajiit that didn't want to be found. The Khajiit are ruled by powerful sultans who hold fast the treasures that are found under the sands.

 **Wolfen:**

The monstrous wolf like race are believed to be descendants of the first werewolves. If a Wolfen hears you say this you might find yourself hunted for the rest of your life. These noble hunters are a proud race and want no one to link them with those that have been inflicted to be mindless monsters. They have only one true enemy and those are the snake like monsters the Nagga.

 **Map Description: Geography and Populace**

 **Kingdom of Sur:**

A coastal kingdom, which has a northern mountain range that rises from the ocean. The southern zone of the kingdom is composed of rolling plains that are filled with a diverse selection of wild life. The mountain range is home to a great society of Mountain Dwarves.

 **Kingdom of Bremen:**

This kingdom has a thick forest that spans its entire region. The thick forest in the north is ruled by the Wild Elves. The southern forest is controlled by the Forest Gnolls. The two forests are separated by a great river that spans almost the entire kingdom.

 **Kingdom of Subain:**

This kingdom is made up of mostly low lands that are extremely fertile. Two races have come together to form a society here. The Hill Dwarfs and Gnomes control this land of plenty and peace.

 **Kingdom of Kallamore:**

Dark forbidden forests make up the interior of this kingdom. Large insect monsters stalk these lands and hunt in large groups. The Dark Elves grand kingdom can be found under the mountains in this untamable zone.

 **Kingdom of Gradian:**

Low lands spread out from the coast and reach a thick forest towards the mountains in the south. The mysterious Satyr tribes populate the forested areas.

 **Kingdom of Nest:**

An ancient and lost kingdom was once here that possessed great shipping might. The ruins of Hurom Castle are populated by hordes of undead that come from the great tombs that can be found under it. There is a dreaded rumor of a ghostly Pirate ship that sails those waters near the coast.

 **Kingdom of Haven:**

The northern mountains are populated by ancient castles that were built into the mountains. These castles are now where the Rock Gnolls call home. Great trolls are known to be found wandering these mountains. The interior of this kingdom is a massive swamp which is where the ancient race of the Argonians live. The large forest in the south is populated by terrible carnivorous trees that attack and kill any who stumble upon them

 **Kingdom of Thor:**

The great Dwarf Kingdom, home to some of the greatest smiths to ever live. These dwarves are great warriors and this kingdom is ruled by martial law. The south is home to some of the most violent fire elementals in the world.

 **Kingdom of Norton:**

This is a once ancient kingdom that was ruled by a large human like race called the Nords. This race has died out and with their passing their great capitol is now ruled by an evil gathering of Litches. These litches have great power over ice magic and because of this the southern shore is always under a blizzard.

 **Kingdom of Jurso:**

Rolling hills full of large land roving herds. The Gnolls have large migratory villages that keep these lands. The Halflings from Dale often are found here keeping the larger Gnolls Company while they trade stories and songs. The animals in this zone are some of the largest and fiercest in the land.

 **Kingdom of Dale:**

The Halflings have developed a great farming community in the north. They have grand schools of music and story tellers. The lands in the south are inhabited by the Fae, many an adventurer has succumbed to the beautiful and tempting creatures of desire.

 **Kingdom of Harpen:**

Dense forest with two large rivers flowing out. These rivers start in the mountains that rise in the north. The Wood elves rule this realm and are led by a mysterious druid council. The mountains are known to be the homes of great dragons that have grand stores of gold and wealth.

 **Kingdom of Lasalle:**

It is a large swamp and forested kingdom. The Nagga live here and concoct strange and dangerous blood rituals here that require sacrifices. This race is in constant war with the Wolfen.

 **Kingdom of Tullen:**

The Wolfen live and hunt here. The great Olmus Castle with its high walls and foreboding presents gives off the strength of these people. This area is in a constant ready formation for an attack on or from the Nagga.

 **Kingdom of Aidern:**

The Deep and Forest Gnomes have come together to form an isolated kingdom. The mountains and forests of the north house these two races. The Half-Elves of the south is the most recent to start a kingdom in all of the world. This society is the most welcoming of all travelers and are ready to help those who just want to start over.

 **Kingdom of Grapass:**

Ruled by the deeply religious Asmere. The religion of SHINNING LIGHT is the law in these lands. The moral code in this kingdom is stringent and woes to the rogue or thief that is caught because he will find no mercy here.

 **Kingdom of Ritten:**

The eastern side of the country is a wasteland where no life grows. The only things that can be found are the remnants of the great demonic invasion that came from the abyss many centuries ago. "Rodipung" is a rowdy city of outlaws and thieves that is ruled by the Tiefling.

 **Britten Aliance:**

The land of the High Elves, is ruled by four great elven houses. The greatest schools of magic can be found here and many magical monsters gravitate towards these bastions of magic.

 **Desert of Tranquility:**

This desert spreads across the entirety of the country. Cities can be found in the desert that were founded near the rare oasis that can be found. The land is home to the Khajiit and its secrets are theirs to keep. There are many dungeons and lost tombs that can be found beneath the sand.

 **Kingdom of Brent:**

The most diverse of kingdoms, races of all kinds can be found here. The city of "Varhales" was settled as a place to start over. The kingdom is safe except when the random demon comes from the great wasteland.

 **Kingdom of Roseinheim:**

The ever driven and expanding Human kingdom. The humans in this area are always looking for more and better things. They are in constant conflict with the Orc Horde that invade from the orc lands.

 **Principality of Thebes:**

Half-Vampires rule this island, widely feared as a place of death and bloodlust. The nation is peaceful, but no one but the high council knows the ruler. These half-vampires are the descendants of those that banded together years ago to form a community.

 **Orc Lands:**

The blood thirsty Horde lives hear. The barbaric tribes are constantly at war with themselves and any other race they come in contact with. There are vast quantities of slaves that have be stolen away from their homes that have little hope that they will ever be free.

 **The Great Northern Wilds:**

Monsters roam free in these lands with little contesting them. The Silithid create massive hives in the mountains and the Ogre Kingdom of Morata are a constant threat while in this area.


	2. 1: Life Ends and Begins

**Royal Roads: Shadowed Ninja**

 **Chapter 1: Life Ends and Begins**

 **Release Date: (08/25/2015)**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't make money from writing this nor do I own any character from the Naruto/Legendary Moonlight Sculptor universes. I find myself inspired by both stories and want to leave my mark.**

 **Explanations:**

"Life is Troublesome": Speaking out loud.

'Thinking is Troublesome': Thinking about stuff

 **Story Begins Here**

The light of the setting sun warmed his face as he sat in his favorite chair enjoying this late summer evening. Nara Shikamaru had done the most "troublesome" thing he ever thought he could in his life, he got old and enjoyed doing it. ' _What would I have thought, about myself now, all those years ago in my youth',_ he thought as he sighed and repositioned himself on his chair. He remembered how as a young man all he wanted to do was to become "Mr. Average" in everything he did. _'I used to do everything in my power to do as little as possible, I was truly foolish all those years ago'._ He thought about the times during the academy he would watch all the other students trying so hard, when all he wanted to do was leave and go fall asleep while watching the clouds drift by.

The thought of his childhood academy days reminded him about when he first became a Genin. _'Ino and Chogi we really did clash back then didn't we.'_ His team started off rocky with Ino always on his case for being lazy and giving Chogi a hard time about how he ate too much. Their team was made to emulate their respective fathers' team, which had been so successful during the 3rd ninja war. _'We grew together though and when hard times came at us we knew we could handle it.'_

His thoughts of his teammates brought back happy and sad memories about their teacher/leader Sarutobi Asuma. His teacher at the beginning wasn't the best role model that was for certain. Asuma smoked all the time and would always argue with Ino about how he could smoke wherever he wanted and that he didn't care if it made her outfit smell bad. He remembered how Asuma had secretly tested his IQ with all of those brainteaser games when they were just starting out. _'You would have been proud of your daughter old man, Mirai was a pain when she was my Genin student just as you always said I was for you.'_ Thinking about his old student always brought back the slight feeling of regret, _'could we have done something to save your father all those years ago.'_ The wind blew across the trees that surrounded his house and brought the familiar scent of Konohagakure to him. It quashed any bad feelings that had been bubbling up during his reminiscing.

Shikamaru thinks back about the war before "The Great Peace" was established between all the nations. The war was full of what this new generation would call monsters. That horrible time where death was everywhere and struck quickly without remorse. _'I don't know how we survived, even all these years later I still sometime wake up wondering if I am still inside that horrible Genjutsu.'_ His friends and allies had given everything they had to fight for the peace that they had earned. He found himself chuckling slightly to himself as he remembered, _'They called you Kono Yo no Kyūseishu (The Savior of this World) oh great Nanadaime Hokage.'_ His friend and leader for many years Uzumaki Naruto truly was someone that would be spoken of as a legend in years to come. _'How did you get everyone to put all their differences aside and create this peaceful world we live in?'_ His friend, who had started out as such a joke and failure, was a hero in every way that word could be defined. He smiled as he thought, _'You would say we were all Heroes!'_

He heard the sound of a piece of paper being turned as though someone was reading a book. He turned to his left and his wife Temari. _'You are the best thing that ever happened to me'_ , he smiles to himself, _'I will never say that out loud or you would never let me live in down.'_ His wife was a stubborn women and would always make sure that he never lazed about too much, which he was eternally grateful for. She still had that beautiful blond hair even if it was peppered with gray. _'I never knew that finding someone so perfect, would make all my priorities in life change.'_ He knew he had always secretly idolized his wife more than she actually was, but he was truly in love so he didn't really care. _'We made a great family our son is truly the best part of both of us.'_ He reaches over and takes her hand in his. She looks over at him with a puzzled expression on her face. He lightly squeezes her hand, she looks down at their hands and smirks at him. He smiles at her and her face lights up when she gently squeezed his hand back. She returns to her book, but they both remain connected by the hand.

He grows tired as an overwhelming feeling of completeness washes over him. 'I guess I could say it after all,' he thought. "You are the best thing that ever could have happened to me." "You're just figuring that out now," she replies with her usual sharp tone. "No woman I just felt you should know," he quickly spat. She sighed and shook her head and squeezed his hand with hers. He smiles to himself, 'We are certainly a pair.' He notices that his eyes feel heavy and his breath comes in slowly. 'I guess now is the time, I will wait for you wherever it is we end up Temari.' "I love you," he says with his last breath. Before the world fades completely he feels her squeeze his hand "I love you too, old fool." He smiles as everything fades to black.

There is soft whispering flowing to him, 'What is that? Why do I feel so heavy? Is this the afterlife?' He struggles to open his eyes as light washes over him. He feels sleepy, hungry and weak all at the same time. The images around him are fuzzy and out of focus, he strains his eyes to try and see what is in front of him. He sees what looks like a large face coming into focus, it's familiar and welcoming. He stares at the image of his mother in front of him 'What she's dead? Why is she so much larger than I? Is this the afterlife?' She picks him up and whispers to him, "There is my little Shikamaru, did you sleep well?" She carries him for a while and during the walk they pass a mirror and he sees himself in it. 'I am a baby, what is going on?'


	3. 2: Life of a Reborn Genius

**Royal Roads: Shadowed Ninja**

 **Chapter 2: Life of a Reborn Genius**

 **Release Date: (08/26/2015)**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't make money from writing this nor do I own any character from the Naruto/Legendary Moonlight Sculptor universes. I find myself inspired by both stories and want to leave my mark.**

 **Explanations:**

"Life is Troublesome": Speaking out loud.

'Thinking is Troublesome': Thinking about stuff

 **Story Begins Here**

The sound of a clocks ticking reaches a dark room, there is a crib inside of this room where a baby is laying inside wide awake. _'I am still a baby.'_ Shikamaru ponders as he has woken again hoping that being reborn in what appears to be a different world was all a dream. He had been in this new life with his new but very similar looking parents for what he had to guess was 3 months now. _'Time is hard to keep track of with all of the sleeping and constantly being hungry.'_ He laid there in bed at night again just wondering what had happened to him. 'I was an old man one moment and now I am a baby again. Things are so confusing, is this my life now? I wish I had something to do, being a baby is boring and mind numbing.' He had just started getting used to being a baby and had to admit that it was exhausting.

His family was pleasant and his new/old/younger parents gave him all sorts of attention. When he first gained awareness of his new life, he guessed he was about a week old. He didn't know if child birth was so traumatic that you just didn't remember anything about at all or if his soul just appeared in this body once he died. He hoped that it was the first and he didn't take over some young soul just starting out. He was very curious about his surrounding but he was still to week in those early days, but luckily his mother and father took time to unknowingly showing him around his new home very often so he had a pretty good mental picture of his environment. During those first weeks he quickly realized that his family was very wealthy if the size of the house he now found himself in was any measure. He caught a glimpse of technology that he recognized and some he couldn't at all.

He again came back to the present, he was three months old and he was very proud/embarrassed with himself. He could now move his head and arms with confidence, which was the extent of control he had over his body. He knew that babies were fragile when they were young, but _'Why is it so hard to do anything at the moment.'_ He was confident that more control would come with age, but the situation he found himself in did not leave much patience for himself. He shook of the 'troublesome' thought process of his limited bodily control and started to think about his mother and father. Nara Shikaku and Yoshino, his father and mother, they even had the same names as his previous life's parents did. They were similar but different in many areas that he thought was strange. His father was in charge of some family business that he wasn't entirely sure of all the aspects of. His mother like in his previous life seems to be a stay at home mother for the moment, but he wasn't sure if that was because of his birth or just the way she had always been. He did smile occasionally when he saw his mother hounding his father about being a workaholic when he was late for dinner and accusing him of being lazy when he slept in making him late for breakfast. _'That at least is the same, I probably would not be able to cope with this situation if that part of their relationship was different.'_ He started to feel the ever present feeling of tiredness come over him, _'I swear to all that is holy, the Great Log, and even the Gods of Ramen, that when I have the energy I will never loaf about if I could be doing anything active at all.'_ He took that thought and carved it into his psyche and it would change his life forever, his eyes closed and he was asleep.

 **6 years later**

He was six years old and life had continued on and this new life kept on going. He had long since accepted that he had been reincarnated into a new world that was far more advanced than his previous life, but it didn't have Chakra or any other seemingly spiritual powers that the populace had access to. He had learned a lot about his new world in the past six years. He had taken up reading about the history of the world and its many cultures and languages. That was probably the biggest difference between this new world "Earth" and the "Elemental Nations", there were countries that spoke completely different languages than the one that he had spoken in his previous life and the main language of the country he lived in "Nihongo(Japanese". Japan, the country he lived in, was an island nation that had many cultural myths that he was surprised reflected a lot of what he knew could be done in his previous life. He enjoyed reading about the wars and history of his country, ninjas and samurai had been real people fighting and living in the past much like he had in his previous life.

The world as a hole, he knew, was far different from his past world. The technology still surprised him sometimes when he read about the progress in his books. The healthcare advancements, the knowledge of outer space, the advancement in material science and engineering was completely overwhelming to him sometimes. _'I feel like a man in the wrong time sometimes.'_ He would adapt to this new world as any trained ninja that came across a difficult situation would.

His family turned out to be very well off, as he had suspected when he was just a baby. His father's family had been the owners of one of the largest shipping companies in the entire world. "Nara Shipping" dealt with all sorts of commercial shipping all across the world. His father, Shikaku, was the CEO of the company taking over after his father had passed at a relatively young age, before Shikamaru was born but his father was still a young man. His mother had gone to school to become a teacher in Math and Physics. His parents had met in University and fell in love. They got married after they both graduated, but soon after Shikaku's father passed and he had to manage the company. They both after a few years settled into their new lives and started a family when they had him. He knew his mother planned to home school him for the first few year, even now she was starting with little assignments when they noticed that he was a curious young boy that liked to read. He had impressed his parents when he quickly learned to read, the written language was different between his two lives, at the young age of 3. They didn't know it but they would learn of his genius in the coming months when his mother started to teach him more avidly.

He enjoyed his life, but he found himself missing the physical activity from training that he had loathed during his previous life. _'I am going to ask them today, I need an excuse so that there is a reason that I know how to fight and handle a weapon. I need a teacher that will teach me so that I can slowly "re-develop" my skills.'_ He walked into the living room where his parents were relaxing, it was the weekend and both his parents made a point to always be at home with him during their time off. "Mom Dad, I want to learn martial arts." He went ahead and said it quickly, so that it sounded like a kid who had just decide something super important. He saw his parents look at him with puzzled expressions, they turned to look at each other and seemed to converse telepathically with each other. They both turned back to him and his father said, "Sure, that's sound fine will look into getting an instructor to come here or find a school that is close by that could teach you." "Yes this could be good for you son, I look forward to seeing how dedicated you can be." His mother quickly followed up with. He found himself smiling and nodded his head to them and walked out the room. _'That was easier than I thought. I wonder what I was stressed out about.'_

 **6 years later**

The strike from the opponent's shinai (kendo bamboo blade) he quickly blocked while stepping back. He quickly lunged forward and jabbed at the neck of his opponent landing the hit. "Point, Match to Nara." The crowd clapped while the two opponents bowed to one another. He had won, national kendo tournament for twelve and under, he smiled while he moved off the mat to start taking off his armor. His kenjutsu teacher, Osaka Mitsuoki, smiled to him when he got close and said "You did well my student, better even than I expected. Congratulations on your victory." "Thank you master, your training and guidance over the years has helped a great deal." His parents had done well in finding the best instructor that they could when they said he could start to learn martial arts. They found a master in Ninjutsu that was willing to instruct him at their home with private lessons. He of course excelled in the training and quickly began to show great skill in the techniques that he was "re-learning". Osaka Mitsuoki started to introduce kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu as another avenue to test his young student. He again seemed like a sponge and excelled at all that he was taught. His parents were proud of his accomplishments and showed it with their happy congratulations as they approached him from the crowed after his victory.

He had proven his intelligence to his parents over the years as he quickly went through the curriculum that his mother had laid out for him. He soon was exceeding her ability to teach him in subjects like history, language arts, chemistry, and biology. She still taught him as me grew in his knowledge about mathematics but she arranged for private tutors for the other subjects. He had already reached high school level curriculum and continued at the same pace as he had always been. He could have gone faster but he enjoyed his dedication to his physical growth in this life too much. He often wondered if this life was really away for the universe to show him how he should have been at an early age in his previous life.

 **4 years later**

He was 16 years old and he found himself thinking the dread words "troublesome". He found himself feeling board, there were no great adventures in this life like he had experienced before. He had experienced great battles were his life was on the line and now he missed the excitement. He enjoyed this new life, but he found himself wanting more. He had finished his High school level studies 2 years earlier than normal and he was starting to take college classes at Tokyo University with the drive to excel in business and administration so that he could work his way up in the family company and one day take over. He still competed and trained in competitions for kenjutsu and martial art tournaments. He enjoyed the physical exertion that came with training and getting better a little bit every day.

He looked at the pamphlet that a friend from one of his computer drafting classes gave to him. 'Royal Roads to be released to the world in two weeks' the release of one of the most popular Korean virtual reality fantasy games was going to be available to the rest of the world very soon. He had been shocked when he first heard of the game ' _It actually allows you to experience the world as if you were there. Will technology ever not surprise me?'_ He was interested and he had asked his parents, they seemed excited that he was interested. _'They probably are more excited that I am showing interest in gaming, something that kids my age are normally wanting to do. Ok I'll do it Royal Roads here I come. Hopefully it will alleviate this boredom that I have been stuck with.'_ He got up from his bed and started to walk towards his parents ready to start something new in his life.

 **Shikamaru Real Life Skills**

He has retained the knowledge of years of combat and fighting experience from his past life.

He is still very intelligent, which has been honed to an incredible degree. His years of focus and dedication from both lives has allowed him to develop a near eidetic memory allowing for him to retain most everything he has ever learned.

He has dedicated a lot of this new life to his physical development and has trained in Kenjutsu, Shurikenjutsu, hand to hand and close quarter knife fighting. He is remarkably fit and has developed a body that many struggle to ever hope to get close to achieving.

Royal roads allows for one to truly be inside the game, which means his mastery of skills in the real world will translate to great skill in the virtual world.


	4. 3: Preparing for Greatness

**Royal Roads: Shadowed Ninja**

 **Chapter 3: Preparing for Greatness**

 **Release Date: (08/28/2015)**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't make money from writing this nor do I own any character from the Naruto/Legendary Moonlight Sculptor universes. I find myself inspired by both stories and want to leave my mark.**

 **Explanations:**

"Life is Troublesome": Speaking out loud.

'Thinking is Troublesome': Thinking about stuff

 **Story Begins Here**

Shikamaru had two weeks until the virtual reality units shipped out for the game "Royal Roads". His parents had ordered the units yesterday after he asked if he could have it. The game had already been available to customers in Korea for almost six months and now it was going to be released worldwide. He had read about the descriptions of how realistic the environment was, but he was hard pressed to believe some of the claims. _'I will see just how incredible this virtual world is for myself.'_ He decided quickly that he wanted to know as much as he could about the game and plan for it accordingly.

His first step for preparing for the game was organizing a schedule for his parents. They were happy that he seemed to finally show interest in something kids his age were excited about, but that didn't mean he could slack of on his studies. He personally didn't want to lose the progress he had attained on his physical prowess as well. _'I need to think hard about setting up a realistic timetable. Mother and father have said that I could "enjoy what little childhood I had left" so they are allowing me to take the minimum number of classes, 12 credit hours, that will still categorize myself as a full time student. I also don't want to mess up my training with sensei every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will limit myself to 6 hours of gameplay during the weekdays and 11 hours of gameplay during the weekend days, this totals 52 hours in real life and 208 hours in game a week. This should allow me enough time to study and stay physically fit while being active in the game.'_

He had showed his schedule to his parents and they agreed that he had left himself plenty of time for his current responsibilities. He now wanted to fully research as much as he could about the game. He started by purchasing guides over the internet, he studied discussion forums that were run by current players that listed all of their thoughts and discoveries about the game so far. He also started to research some of the past fantasy games so that he understood what some of the races and classes were supposed to be passed off of. _'Some of the magic classes seem too similar sometimes. I guess this my own fault for being more interested in history than fantasy.'_ He truly made it his goal to now as much as he could about the game and had a concrete plan before he started.

Shikamaru had studied the game very thoroughly and his gaming unit should be arriving tomorrow. He had a plan for starting out the game and some theories that he thought could be exploited at the beginning of the game that would help him out immensely if they worked.

He knew that all players started out in any of the established kingdoms inside its capitol. He had decided to start inside the "Kingdome of Brent, Capital Varhales" it had the lowest value for players starting out at that location. He wanted to play and experience things that maybe nobody had discovered yet, plus he liked solving problems on his own and not relying on already established quest chains. He knew that time in game was different than in real world, 1 hour of real life was 4 hours of game time. He thought that it was impressive that the game creators could tap into the mind and make you experience things quicker than they would normally experience them.

He had decided to play as a human, mostly because he was very familiar with his own body structure. He didn't want to have to learn how to move and fight using a different body type all over again. Humans were also allowed to start out in more starting locations than some of the other races. Most players also wanted to experience the fantasy races (refer back to the Map and Race description for the races of the game) so those starting zones were much more used than some of the human settlements that those races couldn't start out in.

He had learned that new players were forced to stay inside the walls of their starting city for one week of real life after they start. The hope is that starting players will use this time to get familiar with their surroundings and develop a relationship with some of the NPC AI's that populate the world that they will be experiencing. New players can also use this time to discover their first skills like cooking, tailoring, repairing, and crafting that are very easy to obtain. Shikamaru had another plan that he was going to take advantage of during this time of game confinement. He had read in a little known forum that you could level strength in the training field that every starting city had. He had learned that you could level the strength stat up 40 stat points using this method without leveling and using your 5 stat points to increase it. He could not find any other description of leveling any other stats with training like this so he wanted to put his theory to the test when he started. He planned to level strength using the known method, but he also wanted to level up Agility, Intelligence, and Wisdom as well. He was going to use the libraries inside the game to learn about the fantasy history that was kept secret from none players to try and level his Intelligence stat. He also theorized that an attempt to harness a players mana much like the first step in unlocking his past lives chakra could be used to level up Wisdom. He planned to carry over his skill in throwing weapons, which he has developed in real life, into the game to level up Agility. He decided finally to try to do something new when leveling up strength. He decided he wanted to redevelop the ability to climb like he had in his past life (not surface clinging like ninjas did with Chakra real climbing) and he thought that it might aide in the development in gaining strength. He was going to work in the training ground by practicing with a ninjato and close quarter knives against scarecrows like the forums had said would work.

He discovered that combat skills in the game were slightly confusing and simple at the same time. He had read about some of the posted skills and their descriptions, the crafting skills seemed to all follow the same rules as they level you get better at the skill and can effect more things that are related, but combat and action skills were different. He had read that the **Sword Mastery** skill gave bonuses to the player:

Sword Mastery

Increases attack power with a sword (+10 % per level at beginner)

Increases attack speed with a sword (+3 % per level at beginner)

Raised by sword fighting

He noticed though that once a combat skill reaches level 10 it advances to the next mastery level. The mastery level progressed from beginner - intermediate - expert - master- Grandmaster. The mastery level determined how much the skill added per level to a player's combat, but it started over once you progressed to the next mastery level. So **Intermediate Sword Mastery** skill started once you reach beginner level 10 and the increase to attack power and attack speed reverted back to zero plus the new percent increase per level.

Intermediate Sword Mastery

Increases attack power with a sword (+15 % per level)

Increases attack speed with a sword (+6 % per level)

Raised by sword fighting

It made it so that once you achieved Grandmaster level 10 rank in **Sword Mastery** a player's attack power was increased by 300% and their attack speed was increased by 150%. The system seemed to penalize characters for advancing their skill level until the bonus is overall higher once they have releveled the skill. Of course there were some built in redundancies that didn't allow a swordsman of a high level in a lower mastery defeat someone who had a low level in a higher mastery. He believed that it was away the game kept the leveling of characters challenging especially if they started to adventure in higher level areas.

He learned that there was also a limit to how many skills a player could have. A player could only have 10 skills that were not class skills, but they could have any number of class skills that they are eligible for. This allowed for players to branch out and participate in some of their own interest, but didn't allow everyone to learn everything. The classes for combat were geared to excel at combat and could achieve Grandmaster level in their class specific skills, but they would never be able to achieve the same level of mastery in a crafting skill these rules applied to the crafting classes in the reverse.

Shikamaru also was very interested in how magic and spells worked. He read that you could have any number of spell that your character had the appropriate class and Intelligence/Wisdom score to cast. Each spell leveled like a skill but the bonus was specific to that spell. There were different spells throughout the game they could be learned from teachers or other players, but they could also be learned if a player discovered rare spell books that automatically taught the player the spell if their stats allowed for the learning of it.

He then wanted to learn more about how the stats of a player affected their overall experience. There were 7 starting stats that all players started out with these stats where easy to understand.

 **Strength** **: (influences the attack of handheld weapons during combat, you added (25%) of your strength score + weapon damage to determine your total damage. It can be leveled while in combat.)**

 **Agility** **: (influences accuracy of ranged combat +5% per 100 points, it also can influence how well you can dodge during combat +1 point in defense for every 10 points)**

 **Vitality** **: (1 point = 10 health) (leveled in combat while taking damage or keeping safe)**

 **Wisdom** **: (1 point = 5 mana) (influences the likelihood of falling under illusions and learning spells)**

 **Intellect** **: (1 point = 5 mana) (increases the rate you level skills – 10% for every 100 points)**

 **Leadership** **: (How well you lead NPC's under your command, can't distribute stat points into this)**

 **Luck** **: (you are more likely to discover hidden events or items, critical chance can be affected)**

The other stats were learned through the actions of the player these skills are known to exist but no concrete action will activate these stats.

 **Endurance/Stamina: (influences how long you can fight or work without tiring, players can't distribute points into this stat)**

 **Fighting Spirit: (can cause lower level opponents to stagger while in combat, players can't distribute points into this stat)**

 **Perseverance: (influences the rate you level skills – 5% for every 100 points)**

 **Charisma: (how NPCs react to you during conversation leveled by interactions)**

Players could distribute stat points, which they earn 5 per level, as they wanted. This allowed for players to build themselves in the direction they wanted as the progressed through the game. He knew that the game was built with no known level cap at the moment. The highest player in the game after 6 months was Level 60. There were very few that had attained this high of level, most players were in between level 15-25 currently. He knew that very few things had been discovered at the moment about the world as a whole, but there was a rumor in some of the forums that eluded to there being hidden class that were in the game.

Shikamaru decided that he had studied all he could and he was excited about the experiencing the game. _'I guess I could get an early night. The gaming unit should be arriving tomorrow and I will be able to start after classes and training with sensei. I hope that the world is exactly as all the forums describe it as.'_ He fell asleep hoping the game turned out to end the boredom he had been experiencing before he heard of this game.

Author's Notes:

I wanted to address some topics about my story that might shed some light in which direction it is going. First Shikamaru is going to be very loner and wanting to achieve most things in the beginning by himself. He will interact with players and NPC's but he won't be adding friends to his list anytime soon.

He is also starting this game relatively early in its release. The game has great standings in Korea where it originated from but has little fan base outside of that country. He hears about it from a friend who was one of the rare few that was following it. In the light novel Weed describes the game when he starts researching it as being extremely popular worldwide. It commands like 75% of all gamers in the world. Speaking in relative terms it takes a while to get that kind of fan base. So let's say 3 years to become supper popular and even than Weed researches it for 1 year before he starts playing. By the time he starts playing the game has been released for 4 years and Shikamaru has been playing for 3.5 years. They would have very little interaction until Weed levels up.

I have not been able to stamp out a real progression of real time passage from the light novel. I am going to say that at volume 28 where I have been able to find Weeds level at 409 he has been playing for 2 years. That is also taking into effect that when he started the highest level players were 300 and in 2 years to their 6 he has caught up to their highest level of low 400's. To explain Weed's quick pace leveling I am going to attribute it to him playing like 12 hours a day, while also working or attending school something to explain what he is doing for food and electricity bills, and over the years the high level players that have been playing since the beginning have opened up and discovered areas that weren't known to players when it was first released that have released more low level quests that aide in leveling.

I don't want to disappoint any readers about there being little contact with Weed, who is a pretty boss character as a whole, but I am trying to follow the descriptions that the author has given us about the world he created. I again hope you enjoy my story and understood the descriptions that I gave in this chapter about knowledge about the game that I have created to help explain some of the things that happen in "Royal Roads".

Also to explain Temari, she is a blond white girl. Statistically she would be in Scandinavia or America if she was born again in this world. He might meet her in game, but it would be very hard to really learn if they were each other. So sorry no Temari in this story I won't be touching very much on romance and if I do it will be some OC that I invent.


	5. 4: Strength is found with the Blade

**Royal Roads: Shadowed Ninja**

 **Chapter 4: Strength is found with the Blade**

 **Release Date: (09/02/2015)**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't make money from writing this nor do I own any character from the Naruto/Legendary Moonlight Sculptor universes. I find myself inspired by both stories and want to leave my mark.**

 **Explanations:**

"Life is Troublesome": Speaking out loud.

'Thinking is Troublesome': Thinking about stuff

Days Played: 1

 **Story Begins Here**

Shikamaru was on his way home after his Monday training session and he couldn't wait to get home. He had been at school when his mother texted him that his gaming console had been delivered and installed in his room. _'It's a lot bigger than I realized,'_ as he looked at the picture his mom sent him. His room was rather large already, so space wasn't an issue. He walked home enjoying the breeze of the afternoon. He looked out at his surroundings, _'I wonder how "Royal Road" will compare to reality.'_

He quickly got home and had dinner with his mother, his father was working late having to finish up a big shipping deal with an American computer company. "I will be playing the game tonight mom, so I won't be able to here you if you call for me. Did you remember to ask the installation crew how to send me messages into the game and how to stop the connection in case of an emergency?" "Yes, they taught me how to work the messaging system on the side of the console and there is an emergency stop button on the machine as well. I hope you enjoy the game, it's remarkable where technology has led even the game industry isn't it." "Your right its truly impressive mother, well see you in the morning." He walked out of the dining room as his mother wished him a good evening. He headed up to his room and mentally prepared himself for this new experience.

"The scan on your iris and vein has determined that you are an unregistered user. Do you want to create a new account?" He heard the voice in the darkness. _'That's a little disconcerting, I was expecting a screen to pop up.'_ "Yes" "Select the name of your avatar, remember a user may not change the name of an avatar after the decision has been made." He smiled over the two weeks he had chosen a good name that would define him for his entire game experience. "Shikadai" "Select your gender from male, Female, or neutral." "Male" "Royal Road has many different races that make the world, choose between the 24 primary races." The list was shown to him and a detailed look of all of the races that he could choose from. "Human" "You may choose to design a look for your avatar, or you can build your avatar from your pre-existing features." He had never been vain or worried about his looks, so he decided that he didn't need to start worrying about it now. "As I am" "Your account has been activated. Your stats and class shall be determined while you are playing Royal Road. You never know what lies behind the decisions you make. You are the creator of your own path, so enjoy the journey. Select a city and kingdom you want to start in." The list of cities came into view that humans could start in. "Kingdome of Brent, Capital Varhales" "Welcome to Royal Roads" The previous dark surrounding that he was experiencing was invaded by a bright flash he closed his eyes and he could hear a slow whisper that was slowly getting louder.

The noise around him started to come to him and he could hear what sounded like horse hooves moving across a stoned floor. He felt himself breathing in through his nose and he could smell the environment around him. _'I can smell the horse, are there flowers somewhere, its smells almost like my memory of Konohagakure.'_ He prepared himself and opened his eyes. The sight of the street, the horse pulling the carriage, the flower stand across the street, and everything else was breath taking. _'It's just like the real world. I would have never dreamed it would be so life like. This is amazing.'_ He took a few moments to stand there and take in the view before him. The street of a city that would best be found inside a medieval history book, the buildings were old brick and mortar constructions. He could see the smoke of wood fires coming from the chimneys of the buildings. It felt so surreal to him that he could truly close his eyes and open them in a "new world". _'It's time to begin, I have all the time I want to take in the sites later. I need to stick with the plan, use this week that I am stuck in the city to improve myself as best as possible.'_ He set off to find the training field.

He quickly found his direction when he stopped and asked a young guard which way the training ground was. The guard seemed happy to help _'He was probably standing there all day with no one to talk too.'_ The guard pointed him to the city center and explained that the training ground was located near the rocky out cropping that the city had enclosed within its walls. He thanked the guard and continued on his way, while walking he passed through the city commons in the middle of the city. The commons had all of the inns and eateries. It also had a large area for traveling merchants to set up and sell their wares. He started to exit out of the commons area and was getting closer to the rock out cropping, as he got closer it looked as though the city had left the area in a more natural state the trees were still there and though there were cobbled street paths they were not nearly as wide as the other parts of the city he had walked through just now. He finally came to a walled structure with a building placed in the middle. He could see what appeared to be soldiers practicing drills outside of the walls while their superiors observed them. He was going past the entrance and approached a lean, but well-muscled man that appeared to be in his mid-20s. "Do you know where I could practice my swordsmanship? I am new to the region and was hoping for a place to train." He asked the man with a polite but straight forward tone. "Yes, just through the next archway to the right you should find a few rows of scarecrow that have been set up for that purpose." "Thank you for the help . . . " The young man looked at him for a moment and then quickly blinked "Oh, my name is Raizo." "Instructor Raizo, I thank you for the help."

The scarecrows were just where instructor Raizo had said. He quickly found a set of practice weapons that were laid out. He found a bokken that was of similar size as the one he practiced with in the real world. _'There all sorts of different types of weapons here. I guess the forum didn't want to list out all of them and just said sword to simplify the discussion.'_ He tested the weight of the bokken in his hand, it felt smooth and well balanced. It was perfect for testing ones form and strike. He approached a scarecrow in the far corner of the training area and took his stance and swung. The familiar feel of the blade striking the surface of a wooden fixture pulsed through his body. _'This will be just like any other practice session I have gone through. I must keep the technique and the efficiency of my strikes perfect.'_ He started to strike the scarecrow being sure to keep the rhythm of his strikes flowing so that one strike didn't disrupt the flow of the following one. He practiced and practiced, the sun moved and sweat was building up on his body.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 to STR)]

The window had popped up before him, it had startled him out of his rhythm and he stopped the work out. He shook out his arms and while he was getting loose the screen faded away. He checked the games timing system that was built into the user interface and it showed only 4 hours had passed since he started. He walked over to the weapons wrack and located a pair of close quarter wooden fighting knives. _'I am going to mix it up. I need to keep up my familiarity with different weapons. I might learn both skill masteries if I practice with the two weapon types.'_ He walked back to the scarecrow to start again. The two knives were in his hands and he took a low stance and advanced toward the scarecrow and stabbed into its stuffing. He continued to shadow fight against the scarecrow, imagining strikes against him and how he should move around and against an enemy. The window came up again and he paused to rest.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 STR)]

4 hours again had gone by. The window faded and another followed it but it read something unexpected.

[New skill learned **Blade Mastery** ]

 **Blade Mastery:** _Through training with different bladed weapons you have gained blade mastery. This mastery differs from other weapon masteries in that it doesn't specify a weapon to use. The overall increase in usage of a weapon is lower but it allows for more versatility in your combat._

 _ **Increase attack power with bladed weapons (5% per skill level)**_

 _ **Increase weapon speed (3% per skill level)**_

 _ **Quick Draw (Passive)**_

He was surprised, which was a pleasant feeling, even with all his studying he had never expected this kind of skill. He had planned to learn both **Sword Mastery** and **Knife Mastery**. _'That is interesting, I wonder if it was because I specifically decided that fighting with two different weapon types was what caused this development.'_ He smiled to himself, this would allow him to only have to learn 1 skill instead of 2 of the 10 skills a user got to learn that were outside of their class skills. He was interrupted from his musings by the sound of a small bell that was close by. He saw a young women that had an apron on, she waved him over. "Hello, you are a new trainee right?" "Yes I am, this is my first day here." She smiled at him, "I thought so, here's your lunch." He looked at her wide eyed. "What?" "Oh, we give out small free meals to all the trainees. I or some of the other cooks here hand them out every 8 hours." He thanked her as she started to walk off pushing the cart that had other bundles of food on top of it. He looked at the bundle and noticed that it had a small amount of bread, smoked meat, and cheese. _'This is just enough to fill someone, but not enough to encumber those who wants to continue training. I won't have to worry about hunger either since they do this every 8 hours. It is weird thinking that the game makes you experience hunger in this way. I should eat and get back to training.'_

He practiced again for 8 hours switching after four hours. He again gained more strength points every 4 hours, which meant he had gained another 2 points in strength. He saw a young girl come out with a cart similar to the first girl. He thanked her for the food and sat down to eat. He finishes the meal and starts to walk away from the training ground and heads toward the rocky outcropping. He reaches a spot that has a number of trees that were growing very close together. 'It's time to start cultivating the ability to climb in this game. It should work by just successfully climbing up surfaces over and over.' He faced a tree and started to work his way up. He quickly found a grove that was just enough to support his weight. He used that grip to pull himself up just enough to grab a knot on the side of the tree. The knot held his weight and he finally could grab the lowest branch. His memory of doing these same movements for so many years before when he need to sneak in without using chakra came back to him. The time in the trees was relaxing, he would scale a tree than find a spot where he could jump onto the next. 4 hours into his tree climbing a window popped up quickly followed by a 2 more, the two windows hung there long enough so that he could see them.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 STR)]

[Stat **Endurance** Discovered, (Players may not distribute stat points into this stat)]

[Endurance increased by 1 point. (+1 END)]

'It works as a way to train strength. I even discovered and increased my endurance. My plans are working out greatly.' He continued on with climbing as he works his way closer towards the rocky outcropping. He lowers down onto the ground and decides to climb a different surface. He quickly finds handholds as he ascends the ledge until he reaches shelfed spot 20 feet off the ground, he wipes of the sweat that was beginning to get into his eyes.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 STR)]

[Endurance increased by 1 point. (+1 END)]

[New skill learned **Climb** ]

 **Climb:** _Scaling that wall or tree to find a better vantage point. Keeping your handhold and footing is critical when you're high above the ground. The best path may not be the one most noticed so take the advantage and go in a straight line._

 **Beginner: climb trees and rock walls**

'I even learned the climb skill so easily. The game must be able to react and adjust the likelihood of learning a skill for people who show experience in this skill from real life.' He was excited that the day had been so fruitful for him. He had already gained a skill that he didn't even know existed and another that he thought would take much longer to obtain.

He looked at the clock and it showed that 24 hours had passed in game since he started. 'I need to sign off that is my 6 hours for the day. It is amazing in this world.' He selects the logout function in the action directory, the world around him fades to gray than black.

 **End of chapter**

Total stat increase from this chapter:

Strength: 10 starting out value + 6 trained stat points = 16

Endurance: 0 starting out value + 2 trained stat points = 2

Skills Known:

Blade Mastery (Lv. 1 50%): Increases attack power and speed of player with a bladed weapon.

Climb (Lv. 1 0%): Enables for the user to scale structures with confidence.

 **Player: Nara Shikamaru**

 **Character: Shikadai (Named after his son from previous life)**

 **Race: Human**

 **Level: 1**

 **Profession: None**

 **Fame: 0**

 **Health: 100**

 **Mana: 100**

 **Starter Stats**

 **Strength: 16 (influences the attack of handheld weapons during combat, you added (25%) of your strength score + weapon damage to determine your total damage. It can be leveled while in combat.)**

 **Agility: 10 (influences accuracy of ranged combat +5% per 100 points, it also can influence how well you can dodge during combat +1 point in defense for every 10 points)**

 **Vitality: 10 (1 point = 10 health) (leveled in combat while taking damage or keeping safe)**

 **Wisdom: 10 (1 point = 5 mana) (influences the likelihood of falling under illusions and learning spells)**

 **Intellect: 10 (1 point = 5 mana) (increases the rate you level skills – 10% for every 100 points)**

 **Leadership: 0 (How well you lead NPC's under your command, can't distribute stat points into this)**

 **Luck: 0 (you are more likely to discover hidden events or items, critical chance can be affected)**

 **Trained Stats**

 **Endurance/Stamina: 2 (influences how long you can fight or work without tiring, players can't distribute points into this stat)**

 **Combat Defense**

 **Physical Resistance: 6 (from starting armor: 3 for chest and 2 for pants; and 1 for Agility)**

 **Magical Resistance: 0 (Gotten from items, spells, or class bonus) (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Holy/Dark)**


	6. 5: Wisdom found and a City Explored

**Royal Roads: Shadowed Ninja**

 **Chapter 5: Wisdom found and a City Explored**

 **Release Date: (09/04/2015)**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't make money from writing this nor do I own any character from the Naruto/Legendary Moonlight Sculptor universes. I find myself inspired by both stories and want to leave my mark.**

 **Explanations:**

"Life is Troublesome": Speaking out loud.

'Thinking is Troublesome': Thinking about stuff

Days Played: 2

Shikadai=Shikamaru (I will now be using the character name more often in my story.)

 **Story Begins Here**

Shikamaru felt the breeze against his face, it brought the smell of the forest to his senses. He had appeared in the exact same spot that he had logged out from. He started to walk towards the training building. His walk is peaceful 'This forest inside the city is calming. It is nice just walking through it. It really shows just how detailed the game is, the trees are so life like.' His musings take up his mind as continues to walk towards his destination. He sees soldiers still training in group along with archers that are practicing on targets set up in the distance. He enters the training area through the main gate. He spots the same instructor that helped yesterday when he was first starting out. "Good day instructor Raizo." "Ah, the new trainee. How have you found the training area?" Shikamaru nodded to himself and answered, "It is a good setup. The training I started yesterday has allowed me to rediscover the skills I once had." Shikamaru left the answer at that hoping for his short concise answer would provoke more dialog. "Great, it is always good to keep ones talents and skills sharp. I don't believe I caught your name yesterday." "My apologies, it was rude of me to not introduce myself yesterday. My name is Shikadai. I look forward to any help you might lend me if you have the time." Shikamaru noticed that Raizo stopped for a moment and he appeared to take the thought into consideration. "I will make time to observe your performance more closely. If your skills impress me I will see about providing some pointers." "I would appreciate any advice you are willing to give. I will go begin my training, have a good day." Raizo nodded to him and wished him a good day in return. 'It's a good start, I will be coming here for a while its best to practice cultivating a relationship with an NPC. I will stick with the plan today and practice for 8 hours with a sword or knives, then I will attempt my strategy of training Wisdom.'

He grabbed the practice bokken and headed toward the same scarecrow that he had previously used. He positions himself in front of the scarecrow and strikes hard against it. His strikes flow and strike against the target, his imagery technique takes over as he envisions the enemy striking at him so he must move around the scarecrow precisely. The hours go by and he can feel the sweat building up on him. He enjoys this means of growth, it is easy for him to push all of his thoughts into his actions, and he lets the practice take over.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 to STR)]

His breath becomes steady as he lets up on his attack. '4 hours again have gone bye. The game must register that as enough to warrant an increase in my overall stat.' He heads back over to the weapons rack and swaps the bokken for a pair of practice knives. He settles into a low fighting stance and again begins his practice against the scarecrow. His knives wiped out and cut into the dummy. He dove around an imagined strike and positioned at the back of the target. He struck at the kidneys of his foe and moved around it again. His practice went like that for a few hours. He would project an enemy onto the scarecrow from his mind and would react as though he was actually in combat.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 to STR)]

[Endurance increased by 1 point. (+1 END)]

[Skill level increase **Blade Mastery** Level 2]

He finished his free meal that was provided by the training facility. 'It is a good thing that I stumbled on this quirk of the game. I would have had to focus on making money as well as training. Food isn't extremely expensive, but I'm still glad that isn't something I have to worry about. It's time to test out my theory for training Wisdom, if it doesn't work I am sure it will unlock a helpful skill anyways.' He made his way to an out of the way spot inside the training area. He sat down in a comfortable stance and started to practice the same techniques that he had learned very early in his ninja career. He started by calming his mind and eliminating any stray thoughts. He reached into himself to try and touch his mana reserves. He felt himself growing less and less aware of his surroundings and more aware of himself. 'The game is designed with the ability to feel and take hold of one's own magic to improve control.' He felt his breath start to slow as his mind let go and he became still. He didn't know how long it took, but he started to feel the presence of something just outside his reach. He willed his presence closer to it and he felt a rushing source of energy that was connected to him but not a part of him. He reached for it and he felt energized by the contact. 'Ok, just like my early lessons as a ninja. I need to move it towards me and let it flow evenly around body.' He started to will the energy towards and into himself. He felt himself become more aware of his bodies condition. The energy started to flow around and through him, as it did he could tell where his body was fatigued and the energy would slow down in these areas. His mana would start to try and slightly heal these areas of fatigue. 'Now I need to focus on varying the speed that I allow my mana to flow inside of me.' He continued this process for a time that he couldn't track, but he slowly started to become aware that his previously set alarm for 8 hours was fast approaching. He started to let himself pull back away from his mana and he became more aware of his surroundings. He opened his eyes just as the game system alarm went off marking 8 hours had elapsed since he had begun.

[Wisdom increased by 1 point. (+1 to WIS)]

[Wisdom increased by 1 point. (+1 to WIS)]

[Wisdom increased by 1 point. (+1 to WIS)]

[Wisdom increased by 1 point. (+1 to WIS)]

[Wisdom increased by 1 point. (+1 to WIS)]

[Wisdom increased by 1 point. (+1 to WIS)]

[Wisdom increased by 1 point. (+1 to WIS)]

[Wisdom increased by 1 point. (+1 to WIS)]

[New skill learned **Meditate** ]

 **Meditate:** _Calming one's mind and body, this achieves balance and stillness. Taking hold of your own Mana and Life Energy you increase how quickly you recover. You can rest and recuperate without sleeping. While meditating one slows down the metabolism of the body and decreases the need to eat by a small amount._

 **Regenerate (+1% mana/health regen every 10min per level)**

 **Rested +1% max health and mana for 1 hour/30min of meditation**

 **1 hour of meditation gets rid of hunger for 2 hours**

His eyes went wide and his breath completely stopped. "Yes!" He jumped up from his seated position and celebrated without a care in the world. 'It was better than I could have ever imagined. 8 stat points in 8 hours and a skill. I can't believe it, and the skill is a healing technique of all things.' He heard the familiar sound of the bell for handing out meals going off. He absently took the offered food thanking the server while he went over just what he had achieved. 'This was incredible, the progress that I made in my Wisdom alone is almost mind boggling. I hadn't planned to ever take a break from training, but this advancement deserves a little reward. I am going to go see the city. I am extremely curious and what better time to do it.' He starts to make is way out of the training facility and towards the city commons to start with his personal tour of the city.

The city of "Varhales" was a very large city with a high wall surrounding the entire circumference. The city was divided into six distinct sections. The first section which he knew the most about was the training sector. He knew that the "Training Sector" was different than all the other areas in that it was kept in a state of tamed wilderness. The city itself grew around it over time and encapsulated the old fort that now serves as the training facility. The cities military use this area as means to train their new recruits and also to test their new squad leaders in formation drills. The old fort was built slightly away from the original formation of the city, near a rocky out cropping that allowed for the building of a guard tower on top. The tower has since been disused and was brought down to be used in the building of some of the newer fortifications.

He leaves this area of the city through an archway that is part of the inner wall that circles the area known as the commons. The commons is where all of the inns are located. The inns are there due to there being a large open area where traveling traders and merchants are allowed to set up and sell their wares. Shikamaru walks the area and looks around to see the wares that some of the merchants are selling. He makes sure to observe from a distance to avoid interaction with the merchants. 'There is a large verity of goods that are being sold here. I see weapon, armor, and food stands that are all intermingled. It seems that it is first come first serve for location to set up.' He continues to walk by keeping his eye out to see if there is anything that is unique being sold. He walks most of the commons area, while he was touring this part of the city he came upon the four other archways that lead to the other four main sections of the city. He notices that the High City is not open to just anyone. When he walks by the entrance he sees a check in station in which all persons must logged if they pass. 'It must require a certain amount of fame to get past or an invitation from one of the NPC nobility.' He also observes the entrance to the "Adventuring Sector" this is one of the three sectors that one of the main roads passes through from the main gates. The other two are "Artesian Sector" and "Crafting Sector", which represent the western and eastern entrances respectively, while the "Adventuring Sector" is the northern entrance.

He notes that the "Adventuring Sector" is where all of the combat and magic guilds are located. The warrior's guild is a large band of weapon users that have come together and work against larger foes. The mage guild is more of a suppository of magic knowledge within the city. The mage guilds have small schools located around it but most of knowledge that would be learned here would have to be self-taught. He spots what he would call the Hunter's guild which is populated by a large number of archers and trappers. He notices that there is no sign of any thieves' guild, but then laughs at himself for thinking that it would be in the open for everyone to see it.

Shikamaru ventures into the "Crafting Sector" and sees all of the different crafting classes that would be available. He spots many forges and crafters that make weapons and armor. He spots some tanneries that would be responsible for making most of the cities leather armor. The tailors are also inside this area, rugged and good quality clothing would be made here.

The "Artesian Sector" is where the luxury and magical items are made. He spots sculptors, fine cloth makers, painters, jewelers, and potters taking up storefronts in this area. He notices a number of stores that advertise enchanting and magic scroll being sold. The public library of the city is in this area. The library is large and was built by the nobility to show off to each other. The books are free to read, but only the upper echelon of the city would be free to borrow any of the books. He is still so amazed that programmers would take the time to create a complex world that has its own fantasy history that would be written down inside books. He spent a total of 8 hours touring the city and he knew that he wasn't even close to being familiar with the layout of the city yet. He walked back to the "Training Sector" and prepared to logout. 'My second day and already I have progressed so much, but there is still a lot to do.' The world around him faded to black as he left "Royal Roads".

 **End of chapter**

Total stat increase from this chapter:

Strength: 16 starting value + 2 trained stat points = 18

Endurance: 2 starting value + 1 trained stat points = 3

Wisdom: 10 starting out value +8 trained stat points = 18

Skills Known:

Blade Mastery (Lv. 2 0%): Increases attack power and speed of player with a bladed weapon.

Climb (Lv. 1 0%): Enables for the user to scale structures with confidence.

Meditate (Lv. 1 0%): Recuperate mana and health, while stilling one's mind and body.

 **Player: Nara Shikamaru**

 **Character: Shikadai (Named after his son from previous life)**

 **Race: Human**

 **Level: 1**

 **Profession: None**

 **Fame: 0**

 **Health: 100**

 **Mana: 140**

 **Starter Stats**

 **Strength: 18 (influences the attack of handheld weapons during combat, you added (25%) of your strength score + weapon damage to determine your total damage. It can be leveled while in combat.)**

 **Agility: 10 (influences accuracy of ranged combat +5% per 100 points, it also can influence how well you can dodge during combat +1 point in defense for every 10 points)**

 **Vitality: 10 (1 point = 10 health) (leveled in combat while taking damage or keeping safe)**

 **Wisdom: 18 (1 point = 5 mana) (influences the likelihood of falling under illusions and learning spells)**

 **Intellect: 10 (1 point = 5 mana) (increases the rate you level skills – 10% for every 100 points)**

 **Leadership: 0 (How well you lead NPC's under your command, can't distribute stat points into this)**

 **Luck: 0 (you are more likely to discover hidden events or items, critical chance can be affected)**

 **Trained Stats**

 **Endurance/Stamina: 3 (influences how long you can fight or work without tiring, players can't distribute points into this stat)**

 **Combat Defense**

 **Physical Resistance: 6 (from starting armor: 3 for chest and 2 for pants; and 1 for Agility)**

 **Magical Resistance: 0 (Gotten from items, spells, or class bonus) (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Holy/Dark)**


	7. 6: Libraries lead to discoveries

**Royal Roads: Shadowed Ninja**

 **Chapter 6: Libraries lead to discoveries**

 **Release Date: (09/11/2015)**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't make money from writing this nor do I own any character from the Naruto/Legendary Moonlight Sculptor universes. I find myself inspired by both stories and want to leave my mark.**

 **Explanations:**

"Life is Troublesome": Speaking out loud.

'Thinking is Troublesome': Thinking about stuff

Days Played: 3

Shikadai = Shikamaru (I will now be using the character name more often in my story.)

 **Author Notes**

 **I would like to first start out and say thanks for the reviews, it's nice knowing someone is reading my story. I would like to address some of the questions and thoughts that have been brought forward by some of you. I would like to thank "ashynlem" for pointing out the training skill cap of 40 instead of 50. I had always thought the story said he raised his stats by 40 not too 40, so that is a change that I will make to my story as a whole. Shikamaru's Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Endurance will be leveled to 40 instead of the previously stated 50. I will go ahead and make a sweeping declaration that Endurance and Vitality are absolutely unrelated in my story. Endurance is how long and hard a character can push them self magically and physically, it will come into play when Shikamaru ever has to fight for long periods of time or scale large surfaces to sneak into places at a later date. Vitality is only connected to how much Health Points a character has. I don't believe that you can train health points by swinging a sword or any form of training that doesn't involve combat. Shikamaru's Vitality will start to rise quickly once he starts to fight opponents for real. My thought is that during combat surviving damage or successfully dodging or deflecting damage can raise your Vitality. My time line for the game being 4 years old when "Weed" starts is not contradicted by the original story, it only says that it is super popular and he takes a break for a year to completely study it, so I am going to keep my original theory for the timeline.**

 **I would also like to comment on the suggestion of him doing delivery quests. I thought the idea had merit especially linking it to Shikamaru's established observation skills from "Naruto Universe". I had a quest written down on paper, but then I couldn't for the life of me see him delivering anything unless it was of real importance. So I will say that in the future he may have to deliver something to someone, but that person probably won't like it (i.e.: knife to the throat).**

 **So to wrap up this note I will just reiterate that I am sticking with my pre-established timeline. Shikamaru will start to raise his Vitality Stat once he actually experiences combat. I would like to say that I believe that "Legendary Moonlight Sculptor" says that Agility can be leveled with ranged weapon combat. I believe that everything was handed to "Weed" as a character in the beginning chapters so I hope you can forgive me if it seems like I am just handing everything to Shikamaru right now. I am just establishing the first 2 weeks of gaming (real world time) of him training right now, after he completes his training he will start going out into the world and it will punch him in the face sometimes even when he sees it coming. Thanks for the support I hope that this answers some questions and if it didn't leave me a review.**

 **Story Starts Here**

Shikamaru breathed in the fresh air of the forest as he stretched. He had just finished 4 hours of tree climbing and was ready to start his sword training.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 to STR)]

[Endurance increased by 1 point. (+1 END)]

The continued growth that he was experiencing from the game was rewarding. He walked toward the training area and picked up a pair of practice knives and started his attack against the scarecrow. His body fell into the familiar rhythm that he had developed while doing this particular training regimen. Time seemed to disappear from his senses and he stopped his 4 hour long practice as a pair of windows popped up one after the other.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 to STR)]

[Endurance increased by 1 point. (+1 END)]

He leaned back and stretched out his back. He heard clapping from the distance and turned to look at what it was. He saw 'instructor' Raizo on top of the wall, which surrounded the area, looking down at him with an approving look. He nodded toward the instructor in acknowledgement. Shikamaru turned away and started to walk toward one of the serving girls that was passing out food to the trainees.

He had just finished his lunch when he noticed that Raizo was making his way towards him. "Good day Shikadai, you had excellent technique while you were training with those knives earlier." "Thank you instructor, it is nice to hear praise about something I have worked on for years." "Raizo is fine. You do have the look and bearing of someone who was trained for long hours for your achieved skills. I have not seen many who have ever come hear that have had your talent and persistence. It's good that you have taken the time to practice where others have not." Shikamaru watches as Raizo moves to sit on the bench next to him. 'I wonder how this interaction will affect the game.' "What is your opinion of my technique? I would like to hear what you have to say about it Raizo." Raizo leans back to contemplate his question.

"I have seen both your handling of a bokken and the pair of practice knives that you were using earlier. You handle your knives very well Shikadai. The way you move around the scarecrow, while visualizing an opponent's actions, shows great forethought and experience in combat. I would say, from what I have observed so far, that you have a lot of experience combating one opponent at a time. I don't know how you would do against multiple opponents." Shikamaru nodes his head to Raizo's statement. "You're right I do have much more experience combating single targets than a group of opponents. What do you think of my skill with the sword?" Raizo smiles, "You have great fluidity with your entire body, while you handle a sword. I would say that I believe you have much more skill with the sword than what I have seen so far from your practice. I would also like to comment that from the way you move while handling the blade that you have only ever been in combat with humanoids right?" His eyes widen at Raizo's comment. 'That is an interesting observation. He can tell that from only watching me practice.' "You're right of course, I have never combated some of the monsters that can be found in this land. What do you think I should do to prepare for the inevitable clash?" "Hmm, that is a hard question to answer Shikadai. I would suggest trying think of how combat would be against a monster that may be much larger than you, or even a monster that moves differently than a humanoid like a large wolf or cat. Also, consider how you would combat a monster that you couldn't safely be around for long. I hope that helps!" Raizo stands up and the two of them exchange their farewells.

'The game is much more responsive on a social aspect than I had originally thought. I wonder how they went about creating such an NPC. It is interesting that they could create such a character as Raizo. He seems to have a very high skill in observation if he was able to notice that I had little experience combating anything that wasn't similar to a human in body type.' Shikamaru started to walk out of the training ground area and made his way towards the cities commons. 'It's time to test out my theory about how one should go about gaining an increase in Intelligence. The library seems like the best place to go about increasing ones INT at an early level.'

The "Artesian Sector" of the city wasn't nearly as occupied as the rest of the city. The shops still showcased beautiful artwork and items of great magical enchantment. He walked towards the large building that was the public library. It housed all of the common knowledge books that were donated by the nobility of the city. 'Hopefully reading and studying will increase the INT stat, if not than I guess I will at least learn some in game knowledge about the territories and factions of the world.' He steps into the library and spots a young man sitting behind the front desk. "Welcome to "Varhales" library" "I would like to know where the "History" section is please." "Second floor to the right sir." "Thank You"

He makes his way up the stairs and finds the "History" section easily. 'I want to learn about the city and the "Kingdom of Brent". I should try to find a collected works.' He scans some of the books and finds a six book collection about Varhales. He takes the six books off of the shelves and brings them over towards a secluded table. "Varhales of Brent, Volume 1" was the first book he opened it was a hand written book. He started to read about the founding of the city, it was founded by a half-elf, named Varhales that lead a band of mercenaries that was made up of many different humanoid races. The band was a group of likeminded warriors that had once fought against the invading Orc horde. They found comradery together even though they were made up of different races. They were one of the most successful fighting forces during the "Great Push" 400 years ago, which was when the humans lead a great army into the "Orc Lands". The war lasted 5 years and afterwards the group was reluctant to separate after experiencing so much together. They spoke of bringing their families together and creating a peaceful place where their children would live in safety. The 100 warriors that remained came together and founded the city with their families in the wilds of the "Kingdom of Brent". The book went on to document how the nobility of the city evolved to have a council of 4 racial families dwarf, human, half-orc, and Khajiit. The city has a king that is a descendent of the half-elf Varhales who leads with the help of the 4 high families.

[Intelligence increased by 1 point. (+1 to INT)]

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he smiled. 'It worked and it only took 2 hours of reading to do it. The book is much more of a narrative than a history book. I wonder who was in charge of writing this fictional history or did they create an AI that was programmed to develop the history of this world.' He continued to read for another 6 hours, he finished the first and second book in the series. The books started to account the building of the city and how trade was established in the land. He was rewarded with a surprise at hour 6 in his 8 hour reading marathon.

[Stat **Perseverance** Discovered, (Players may not distribute stat points into this stat)]

[Perseverance increased by 1 point. (+1 to PER)]

He gained a total increase of 4 to INT and 2 to Perseverance. He decided that that was enough studying so he headed towards the training ground quickly so that he could get a free meal and practice for 8 hours with the sword.

He had made it just in time so that he could receive a free meal. He had finished the meal and went to take up the practice bokken. 'Raizo said earlier to visualize a non-humanoid as an opponent. I think I will start with a wolf and work my way towards some of the more exotic monsters of the game.' He easily could picture how a wolf would move from the years of observing Akamaru while in combat. He started with the size which was about chest high. 'I read that the wolves in the game are much larger than real life wolves. He started to get used to how tall the wolf would be and adjusted his strikes to hit only at that height. He started to picture how long of reach the wolf would have so he could better work on his stance and movement around the practice dummy. The hours went by as he kept getting better at visualizing his opponent. The first 4 hours went by and he received an increase in his strength and endurance. He continued to train with the sword hoping that he got more used to fighting this kind of enemy. His movements started to feel more fluid and easier to adapt into his fighting style. He would spin around imagined attacks and strike quickly at the enemies flank. His time ended with the gaining of another increase in strength and endurance. He checked the time 'It's time to log off. I will start to integrate different monster types into my visualized training. I need to be able to adapt to what I might run into.' He logged out from "Royal Roads" thinking of all the things he still needed to do.

 **End of chapter**

Total stat increase from this chapter:

Strength: 18 starting value + 4 trained stat points = 22

Endurance: 3 starting value + 4 trained stat points = 7

Intellect: 10 starting out value +4 trained stat points = 14

Perseverance: 0 starting out value +2 trained stat points = 2

Skills Known:

Blade Mastery (Lv. 2 55%): Increases attack power and speed of player with a bladed weapon.

Climb (Lv. 2 0%): Enables for the user to scale structures with confidence.

Meditate (Lv. 1 0%): Recuperate mana and health, while stilling one's mind and body.

 **Player: Nara Shikamaru**

 **Character: Shikadai (Named after his son from previous life)**

 **Race: Human**

 **Level: 1**

 **Profession: None**

 **Fame: 0**

 **Health: 100**

 **Mana: 160**

 **Starter Stats**

 **Strength: 22 (influences the attack of handheld weapons during combat, you added (25%) of your strength score + weapon damage to determine your total damage. It can be leveled while in combat.)**

 **Agility: 10 (influences accuracy of ranged combat +5% per 100 points, it also can influence how well you can dodge during combat +1 point in defense for every 10 points)**

 **Vitality: 10 (1 point = 10 health) (leveled in combat while taking damage or keeping safe)**

 **Wisdom: 18 (1 point = 5 mana) (influences the likelihood of falling under illusions and learning spells)**

 **Intellect: 14 (1 point = 5 mana) (increases the rate you level skills – 10% for every 100 points)**

 **Leadership: 0 (How well you lead NPC's under your command, can't distribute stat points into this)**

 **Luck: 0 (you are more likely to discover hidden events or items, critical chance can be affected)**

 **Trained Stats**

 **Endurance/Stamina: 7 (influences how long you can fight or work without tiring, players can't distribute points into this stat)**

 **Perseverance: 2 (influences the rate you level skills – 5% for every 100 points, players can't distribute points into this stat)**

 **Combat Defense**

 **Physical Resistance: 6 (from starting armor: 3 for chest and 2 for pants; and 1 for Agility)**

 **Magical Resistance: 0 (Gotten from items, spells, or class bonus) (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Holy/Dark)**


	8. 7: Throwing Weapons Just Comes Naturally

**Royal Roads: Shadowed Ninja**

 **Chapter 7: Throwing Weapons Just Comes Naturally**

 **Release Date: (10/19/2015)**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **I don't make money from writing this nor do I own any character from the Naruto/Legendary Moonlight Sculptor universes. I find myself inspired by both stories and want to leave my mark.**

 **Explanations:**

"Life is Troublesome": Speaking out loud.

'Thinking is Troublesome': Thinking about stuff

Days Played: 4

Shikadai=Shikamaru (I will now be using the character name more often in my story.)

 **Story Begins Here**

Shikadai finished eating his lunch as he rested underneath the tree that he had been practicing his climbing skill on. He had just finish 16 hours of in game play time so he was going to be starting his last 8 hours of game time for the day. He got up and started to head toward the training area. _'I need to find Raizo and ask him about possibly setting up an area to train with throwing weapons.'_ He walked into the complex and found Raizo observing some others in the training area that were practicing on the scarecrows. When he got close Raizo noticed his approach.

"Ah, good day Shikadai. Have you just finished your strength training in the woods?" Raizo said with a smile.

"Yes, I have "Instructor Raizo". The climbing practice is helping me get a better feel for my strength outside of a combat scenario."

Raizo nodded, "It's always good to be aware of your own body's capabilities in any situation."

"Very true, I had a question I wanted to ask you about furthering my own training."

"Ask away, I would be happy to help you grow further in your development."

"Is there a place where I could train with throwing weapons, or would I have to set up an area out of the way of other trainees."

Raizo's eyebrows lifted and his face showed a slight surprised expression. Raizo had a contemplative look on his face as he stared at Shikadai. After a few moments Raizo seemed to make a decision and nodded his head.

"Yes an area is set up in a large room inside the training building for practicing with throwing weapons. I will show you where it is if you would follow me."

"Great, it is good to know that there is already a facility for practicing set up. Thanks for the help as always." Shikadai smiled as Raizo started to walk toward the entrance of the building that was close to the training area. _'Great an area is already set up, now I don't have to worry about finding a secluded area so I wouldn't hurt anyone by accident.'_

The pair walked through the building and down into the basement. They came to a door that was labeled "Close Ranged Combat Training". They walked in and the chambers torches lit automatically, 'Possibly magic triggered by our entrance that is interesting.'

"This is a room that we had developed with the help of an enchanter. The targets are set up in different areas as you can see. Some though move around once someone steps into the throwing position in that square on the floor." Raizo showed the room to Shikadai, indicating towards the targets that were set up down range in the room. Some of the targets were just white circles with a black do in the middle, while others where in the shape of men that had targets in different areas of the body.

"Thank you, are there practice weapons here or will I need to bring my own to use."

"No, we have many here that can be used, but they can't be taken out of the room." Raizo started to walk over to a cabinet in the corner and opened it. It held different types of throwing weapons inside, there were small knives, and curved blades, and he also noticed shuriken at the top which was surprising.

He headed towards the cabinet and grabbed some of the small palm sized knives, but also grabbed the shuriken as well. He turned and saw Raizo staring at him with a curious expression on his face. Shikadai noticed that Raizo glanced at the shuriken in his hands. 'Mabey he is wondering if I know how to use them.' Raizo directed him to step into the square that was located facing down range. Once he stepped into it some of the targets started to slowly move while many of them stayed stationary. 'I will show him that I do know how to use them.' He planned to give Raizo a little show.

He placed the shuriken down on a shelf that was near the throwing position and palmed the knives. He turned towards the target range and found some targets that looked good to start with. He took an open and loose stance as he gaged the distance and some of the motions of the targets. He had three knives palmed in each hand. He threw his first knife and it flew through the air and hit a small target dead center. That throwing motion led to the next which hit a target further down range than the first. The next four throws loosened him up and he hit perfectly each time leading up to the last one that struck one of the moving targets that hovered in the air. He picked up the four shuriken and palmed two in each hand. He took his stance and threw each shuriken separately. These were each targeting the only moving human shaped target. The first curved through the air and struck the target located at the neck. The next two left his hands in quick succession and struck both targets located at the wrists of the target. The final shuriken hit the target located between the eyes of the target. He breathed in and let his body relax after finishing his display. He heard Raizo's clapping and he turned around and saw him smile in an approving way.

"Great job! You have great skill and control with the weapons. You surprised me with your familiarity with the shuriken, those are a very exotic weapon and very few have any experience using them."

"Thank you, I have practiced with throwing weapons for years and have a lot of experience with them. The shuriken feel like they have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember."

Raizo agreed "It shows, the way you controlled their path through the air with the strength and positioning of your wrists gives away the hours of training you have. It is a rare sight to see someone as young as you that has such great skill in the usage of weaponry, do you mind if I ask about your past trainings?"

Shikadai stared Raizo in the eyes, ' _This is interesting, he appears to be very interested in knowing what type of training I have had. It won't hurt to tell him will it? I hope this doesn't hurt my development with him._ '

"I don't mind and welcome the interest you have in my development. I studied under a master that specialized in the usage of close quarter hand to hand and sword fighting. My master taught me to fight with quick decisive blows that would take out my opponent quickly and efficiently. As my training developed he introduced the usage of throwing weapons into my training. I have always found that the shuriken fit my hands perfectly and it is now almost to the point of instinct when it comes to the proper way to release them. My master has praised me for my ability to quickly adapt to any situation quickly without it affecting my technique."

Raizo's hand comes up to his chin as he nods at the conclusion of Shikadai's input. He seems to come to a decision and smiles to Shikadai.

"You have great skill and talent that have been cultivated well. I give praise to your master for the time he has dedicated to you. I must leave you here to practice as I have duties to attend to.

They share farewells and he settles down into practicing his technique. He stops an hour later when the game shows his growth.

[Agility increased by 1 point. (+1 to AGI)]

His training continues on and as the hours pass he gains a total of 8 points of Agility during his training. He sees another notice that showed his success in developing a new skill.

[New skill learned **Throwing Weapon Mastery** ]

 **Throwing Weapon Mastery:** _Throwing knives and shuriken takes precision and adaptability. Thrown weapons are affective against critical areas on a target. The damage against a target is only affective when targeting weaknesses of an opponent. Mastering this skill leads to palming one or more weapons when attacking._

 _ **Increase accuracy to**_ _ **Critical Areas**_ _ **(+2% per lvl)**_

 _ **Throw +1 weapon at once per 2 lvl advancement**_

He smiled in victory as another goal he had set for himself had been achieved. He logged off wondering how he would do during the next few weeks of training.

The time went by and Shikadai trained and continued to develop his 4 skills as he trained his stats. He was training with his sword in the training area as this was the final stat that he had to train to 40. He finally noticed a notice pop up.

[Strength increased by 1 point. (+1 to STR)]

[Endurance increased by 1 point. (+1 END)]

[Skill level increase **Blade Mastery** Level 5]

[Rising in Fame (+20 to Fame)]

[First player to finish the beginner training in "Kingdome of Brent, Capital Varhales"

(+20 to Fame)]

It had taken him 2 weeks of real time, but he had done it. He had leveled the stats that he could as far as he could without leveling. He walked over and placed the practice bokken back onto the rack and took a moment to silently congratulate himself. He herd footsteps coming towards him and he notice Raizo walking over with two wooden boxes in his hand. The first was about 3 feet long and 0.5 feet in width and depth. The second was much smaller and looked to be about the same size as a shoe box. When Raizo arrived he smiled towards Shikadai.

"I thought you would be finishing today and I prepared these for you."

He handed the largest box first to Shikadai, who opened it while thanking the instructor. Shikadai saw that it was 2.5 foot long Wakizashi, the blade was 2 foot long while the grip was 0.5 foot long. He took it out of the case noticing that it also had a back strap so that the sword could be drawn while wearing it on ones back. He saw the stats of the blade once he took it up.

 **Item: Hard Iron Wakizashi:**

 **Durability:** 54/54

 **Damage:** 10-14

Awarded to those who've completed the Basic Training Program. This blade was selected by the instructor after a friendship had been developed.

 **Requirement:**

Strength 40+

 **Equipped:**

+10 Strength

He noticed the description of the blade and smiled at the acknowledgement of his friendship with the NPC. He quickly fitted the blade to his back and practiced drawing it and noticed that it was smooth and without difficulty. Raizo then handed him the second box and opened it and saw that it had two pouches inside of it. These pouches had 5 shuriken inside each.

 **Item: Shuriken:**

 **Durability:** 10/10

 **Damage:** 4-6

 **Critical:** X4 Damage

Awarded to the player who first finishes the beginner training in "Kingdome of Brent, Capital Varhales". These were awarded due to the player discovering the throwing weapons training room and showing that they had the skill to use these exotic throwing weapons.

 **Requirement:**

Agility 40+

He equips them onto his belt and Raizo takes the boxes back from him.

"Thank you instructor these are a great gift."

"You earned them and your training is now complete. What do you plan to do now?"

"It's time that I test my skills against the monsters close around town. I need to know that my skills are truly trained to the best of my ability."

"My friend, I have a request of you. I need your eyes for a most troubling development that has been going on here at the training grounds for the past few weeks."

"Raizo what is wrong, has something happened."

The instructor looks around and motions for Shikadai to follow him as they quickly head toward the throwing weapons training room.

"There is a problem I believe that one of the senior training Masters has been stealing from the training ground for his own profit. Master Ozunu seems to be taking some of the funds for weapon replacement and keeping it for himself. I have tried to follow him, but I think he is aware of my presence do to our familiarity with each other. Could you help me by finding out if my suspicions are sound?"

 **Quest: Discover if Raizo's Suspicions are Sound:**

Raizo believes that Master Ozunu is possibly skimming some of the funds for new weapons. You need to tail the master and try to see if he has been using the funds appropriately. Be aware that the old master shouldn't notice you tailing him, so be vigilant.

 **Difficulty:** E

 **Quest requirement:**

Player must be level 5 or lower.

Player must have developed a friendship with "Instructor Raizo".

Must have shown Raizo that you have skill in the use of Shuriken.

Failed if you are noticed as a tail.

 **End of chapter**

Skills Known:

Blade Mastery (Lv. 5 0%): Increases attack power and speed of player with a bladed weapon.

Climb (Lv. 5 0%): Enables for the user to scale structures with confidence.

Meditate (Lv. 5 0%): Recuperate mana and health, while stilling one's mind and body.

Throwing Weapons Mastery (Lv. 5 0%): Increases the number of throwing weapons that can be used at once.

 **Player: Nara Shikamaru**

 **Character: Shikadai (Named after his son from previous life)**

 **Race: Human**

 **Level: 1**

 **Profession: None**

 **Fame: 40**

 **Health: 100**

 **Mana: 400**

 **Starter Stats**

 **Strength: 40 (influences the attack of handheld weapons during combat, you added (25%) of your strength score + weapon damage to determine your total damage. It can be leveled while in combat.)**

 **Agility: 40 (influences accuracy of ranged combat +5% per 100 points, it also can influence how well you can dodge during combat +1 point in defense for every 10 points)**

 **Vitality: 10 (1 point = 10 health) (leveled in combat while taking damage or keeping safe)**

 **Wisdom: 40 (1 point = 5 mana) (influences the likelihood of falling under illusions and learning spells)**

 **Intellect: 40 (1 point = 5 mana) (increases the rate you level skills – 10% for every 100 points)**

 **Leadership: 0 (How well you lead NPC's under your command, can't distribute stat points into this)**

 **Luck: 0 (you are more likely to discover hidden events or items, critical chance can be affected)**

 **Trained Stats**

 **Endurance/Stamina: 40 (influences how long you can fight or work without tiring, players can't distribute points into this stat)**

 **Perseverance: 40 (influences the rate you level skills – 5% for every 100 points, players can't distribute points into this stat)**

 **Combat Defense**

 **Physical Resistance: [5 (+4)] (from starting armor: 3 for chest and 2 for pants; and 4 for Agility)**

 **Magical Resistance: 0 (Gotten from items, spells, or class bonus) (Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Holy/Dark)**


End file.
